


In My Arms

by DPPatricks



Category: Starsky & Hutch
Genre: Angst, Episode Related, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:54:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22564339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DPPatricks/pseuds/DPPatricks
Summary: A missing scene from “A Coffin for Starsky”
Relationships: Ken Hutchinson/David Starsky
Comments: 12
Kudos: 38





	In My Arms

**Author's Note:**

> This ficlet was inspired by February’s fiction prompt on the Starsky&Hutch The Original Bromance FaceBook page: choose one or more of the images offered and write something. I hope the one I picked is self-evident because I’m not techie enough to include it.

“Buddy, I’m here. I’m right here.”

_God! What a stupid thing to say. Of course I’m right here, where else would I be? My partner’s dying - injected with a progressive poison by a maniac we can’t find!_

_Starsky’s hurting and all I can do is hold him, try to absorb some of the pain. I’d take all of it if I could. I’d change places with him in a heartbeat! I hope he knows that. I guess he does. At least he’s not pulling away from me; he trusts me enough to cry in my arms. He’s the strongest person I’ve ever known and he’s bearing up under the kind of agony I can only imagine. These tears are the very least he’s entitled to._

He shudders and I tighten my grip on his shoulders, weave my fingers into his hair.

_He’s the best friend I’ve ever had, the best partner any cop could ask for. We’ve put our lives on the line for each other a dozen times or more since the academy, but I feel so helpless in this situation._

_We talked to Sweet Alice and she sent us here to Janos’ studio. Slimy bastard’s making pornos in an abandoned grocery store. Sexational Films! Cute. But not the right laugh._

Starsky’s tears have stopped but I don’t let go. Not yet. I ruffle his curls, instead and try for levity. “Hey, we do our best work when we’re under pressure, remember?” He huffs and I finally allow him to pull away from me. 

I give him my handkerchief and he unashamedly wipes his eyes and blows his nose. Trying to smile the lop-sided grin I love, he glances up at me. “Don’t worry, pal, I’ll wash this before I give it back.”

I attempt to look stern but I’m not that good an actor. “You’d better.”

Accepting my help, he gets to his feet. He’s still shaking a little and I keep my arm around him. 

“Okay, so where do we go from here?” he asks. 

I can’t stand to see him in so much pain and I grasp at the only thing I can think of. “Let’s go see Cheryl. Maybe she has something that’ll help so we can concentrate on whatever we’ve forgotten.”

“Good idea, partner. We’ve got twelve hours, right?”

“Right.” _God, please help us get through this because, if he dies, I don’t think I could go on. He’d want me to, but I don’t think I could._

“I can hear ya thinkin’, Hutch, and it sounds a little pessimistic to me.”

We reach the Torino and he walks slowly around to the driver’s side where he stops and stares at me over the roof. “I’m usually the glass-half-empty kinda guy but this time, I’m takin’ the optimist’s view. We’re gonna figure it out. And I’m not gonna die.” His look sears my soul. “Okay?”

I have no alternative but to agree. I take a deep breath and nod. “Okay!”


End file.
